direction

the Acting Coach

2010-12-30T18:08:00.000-05:00

More to come...

2010-12-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

Working on a couple of new videos...

Which I hope to post soon.

Thanks!

Social Networking Intervention

2010-11-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

Social Networking Addiction from josh dolby on Vimeo.

RE SURCH - Never Fall for a White Girl

2010-11-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

Re-Surch... Never Fall For a White Girl from josh dolby on Vimeo.

CYP - SCIENCE!

2010-11-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

SCIENCE! from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Cooking - Shadiah Sigala Style

2010-07-14T16:20:00.001-04:00

Shadiah Sigala is an actress I've been working with for almost a year now. She's super talented, funny and a very hard worker.

This is her entry for the Food Network YouTube competition:

iMovie on iPhone 4

2010-07-07T13:09:00.004-04:00

So far, I'm pretty happy with the iPhone 4.

It takes reasonably good "HD" video (god, if we could get people to stop saying "is that in HD" or "it's HD" or "I love it in HD" etc etc).

The iMovie app on the iPhone 4 is very well priced at $4.99. As an app it's really basic, with good icons and a pretty slick/simple interface.

Creating a new project is done by selecting a "theme" which will determine the transitions and title text that are offered while you edit.

Editing together different clips is pretty simple as well- you just click the "drop in" icon to sort through your shot videos and then select the clips that you want as part of the project.

Transitions are represented by small "bowtie" icons, which when double-tapped are adjustable. Either leave the theme transition as-is or remove them (I prefer to remove), and then keep working through your clips.

Individual clips can be trimmed in size by clicking on the clip, then using the familiar "copy/paste" goalposts to drag the clip to be longer or shorter. Titles can be changed by double-tapping the individual clips as well.

I have found that trimming your clips to get the "right part" of your video is finicky- in some cases you trim one clip, and iMovie will also trim others that are to the right or left of it. This is super-frustrating.

Zacuto Critics Videos...

2010-05-10T10:11:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite items on the web is Zacuto's "Critics" series...

Getting the opportunity to watch two industry veterans really critique Vimeo content is worth the price of admission alone.

I personally find it challenging get a) real, truthful opinions from friends, (more on this here), b) good critical ideas that go beyond 'the sound is messed up' and more deeply into ideas of composition and concept... I think that online video is kind of cheap, there is so much of it that unless you're really dialed in with other content producers, it's hard to get eyes and minds on what you're up to... then again, I'm not great at networking...! and finally c) advice from people who are higher up on the foodchain! This is really the thing I like the most about Critics- it's an opportunity to watch two smart people talk through ideas, concepts, and technique without a lot of BS...

Why Do I like DSLR Video? I dunno...

2010-05-05T13:46:00.001-04:00

Why DSLRs and Video? from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Boston 2010 48 Hour Film Final Cut

2010-05-04T09:19:00.000-04:00

Bad Talent from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Zoom H4N

2010-05-04T09:18:00.001-04:00

Zoom H4N Audio Device Comments from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Storyboarding...

2010-04-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

Storyboarding is something that I find tedious... but critical.

Lenses/7D Conversation

2010-04-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

Lenses and 7D... from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Jon Merz

2010-03-30T09:21:00.000-04:00

Evasion from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Kingston Station... Roughcut, no titles.

2010-02-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

A fantastic Boston restaurant, Kingston Station is located right in Downtown Crossing.

Bistro cuisine, great bar, and cool spot- check it out!

Corporate Video

2010-02-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

This is an office video I put together for teams I work with and for. It is a parody bit- all meant to be in good humor.

Thanks to all of the folks who helped out!

New England Ninpo Situational Video Series

2010-02-10T04:00:00.000-05:00

Capturing action is very challenging for me- I've got a couple of great books that talk about camera angles, movements and setup for a wide variety of situations, but they're mostly in regards to fictional "stunt" actions, or for tension-building moments in film.

Shooting actual martial arts videos, action works a bit differently - you're supposed to be able to see what's really happening, so that as a technician, you can parse the different movements in order to potentially replicate (or consider replicating them).

Hey, I'm overthinking again, right?

Well, add to that the very interesting position of working with people who could tear your arms off and beat you with them - they're not "actors" per se, they're martial artists, experts in hand to hand (and hand to whatever you want, in the case of Mr. Davis).

So, here's the first in an installment of online "situational self protection" videos.

The next step will be to add the "in class" demonstration portion, with Mark Davis, the instructor, talking through what's going on, and how to best keep oneself safe in the displayed situation.

Thanks to Mr. Mark Davis and Mr. Paul Etherington for their time and effort, and to Renato Rodriguez, Tom Lato (the shakahachi flute), and Ryan Oberland!

Comments and Ideas on Your Videos

2010-02-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

Someone stop me. Now I see why Andrew told us NOT to get him that PS3 for Xmas. Yeow.

And here's one I was in...

2010-02-09T09:55:00.001-05:00

Women, an adaptation of a David Mamet bit by Arlen Ladue and Luke Boelitz.

Cast- Ashely Burgess, my Honda, and me.

Jagpro35 Gear

2010-02-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

In my quest for the "proper kit" I've read a LOT of posts on both Vincent Laforet's as well as Phillip Bloom's blogs. Mr. Bloom had a post back awhile ago where he talked about a "runner up" to the gorgeous, albeit pricey, Zacuto Z-Finder.

Mr. Bloom reviewed the Jagpro JagPro Follow Focus system, which I promptly ordered.

The Follow Focus is very cool, it gives a much more controllable feel to the focus - with an SLR you're reaching around to the front to turn the barrel of the lens, and this causes jumpyness or other shake in your video. The FF allows you to very gently turn a large, easy-to-grasp knob, and get the focus you want. It also could let a focus-puller come into play, though that might be overkill... Then again, it's really not when you're moving these cameras around and doing lots of interesting scene setups.

Once I got on the Jagpro site, the LCD Viewfinder caught my eye- here was the answer to the Z-Finder, but for under $200! Moreso than the FF, the LCDVF is a must-have for any daylight shooting, and for any 3rd party manual lenses. With the JP LCDVF I can actually tell if things are in focus without having to bring a monitor, or generally worrying about the results.

Listmaking...

2010-02-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

I had been making lists for some time.

Perhaps last year I stopped.

It felt a bit like I was kicking off the training wheels- that I was done with making lists, that I was in process of finishing many projects, without needing to worry about the little tricks that I'd been using to get myself to actually DO many of them in the first place.

Now, I think that instead of training wheels, listmaking is more like a bicycle helmet- a little bit of extra insurance that's useful in a "just in case" situation where something might, or does, fall through the cracks... When you're a one-man band, you can't really expect to get it ALL correct- and I think that I'm feeling that from trying to write/shoot/edit EVERYTHING myself...

It's just not possible for me to have a "perfect" product without input from other people- and usually their input is "the sound is weird" or "there's a blue screen/shake/blip in that one part" or "that part jumped to quick" and so on... Most are comments that, had I taken a few days to let my work SIT before showing it, I could PROBABLY have corrected. Instead, I release to a few (20) sets of eyes, and see what they think- slapping my forehead and saying "ahhh shucks" with every comment that makes me think "I know that!"

Ed's Car- Shot on the 7D

2010-02-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

Overcast, miserable-looking day... But, did it really matter?

What to do... Thoughts...

2010-02-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

1) what can I learn the most from?
2) what can I do the best at (what's within my capacities)?
3) what is going to impact MY "visibility" to other desirable collaborators/customers?
4) what's going to look the coolest?!

Nikon 50mm F1.4 with adapter

2010-02-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

We can do this until we get it right! from josh dolby on Vimeo.

Equipment Arms Race... plus, 'How DSLR Cinema Changed My Life... (part 1)'

2010-01-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

DSLR Cinema has taken the world by storm- or at least it's taken my world by storm...

I've really been waiting for YEARS now for a dslr that takes video (SD or HD, didn't really matter!) - something that I can really work with, put different glass on for different situations, and enjoy.

The 7D has been blowing my mind. It's a great piece of equipment - so similar to my old 10D, so FAMILIAR in feel- so well-built, so solid... It performs well- I was concerned that shooting too much video at one time would heat it up, slow it down, shut it off, but so far NO that's not the case! The image that I'm able to get is fantastic- and of course, it's all about the glass here- the life-like quality of the video we're capturing has me saying - "I've finally found a camera that takes video like I experience in reality - video that feels like real life."

And all for under 2 grand.

Camera Bits...

2010-01-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

Tai Chi Video

2010-01-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

Vimeo seems to work pretty well...

This is the 2nd week I've had the 7D, but...

Tai Chi from josh dolby on Vimeo.

But what do you want to DO?

2009-12-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

I was talking to a friend of mine while driving home the other night... He'd been very hot to get himself a T1i, the Canon camera that sports HD video capture in a Rebel-esque sub-$1000 body. That day, Gizmodo had an article proclaiming advance information on a newer version of the T1, potentially called the T2i - which would incorporate many 7D features, but in the consumer-style body.

Naturally he was deciding to hold off- to wait until the better featured version would come out. He said "I don't really want to buy a year-old camera - a camera that's already been out for a year." This comment struck me- how can you concentrate on WHAT you're shooting if you're obsessed with WHAT you're shooting on?!

I asked him - "what do you want to DO with whatever camera you eventually get?"

"What?"

"What do you want to do? Do you have some ideas?"

"I just need a camera."

"Yeah, okay but what are you going to DO with it?"

"No, I just need a camera- I just have to have another camera!"

We went along like this for a few more minutes.

My problem is that when we get too concerned with the gear, with having something, with possessing stuff, with the features and the buttons, we LOSE the reason one would want to shoot or film anything- to offer experience of different points of view, or situations, to other people. Not to show how cool our kit is, or which lens we have, or how large our equipment-penis is...

I've been a bit of a camera nerd for years now- and I don't claim to be very good at all - I do claim to (roughly) understand how the things work, and to be able to make my gear perform- but I recognize that I have much to learn, and that photo and video are lifelong pursuits, like painting or sculpture.

It bugs me to no end when I see the material-obsession in useful people. It's like an addiction, it takes precendent over lots of other more direct and important needs (like paying your rent or paying on debts you owe) and is so easy to be consumed with that starting to do creative work becomes almost impossible- you end up "playing with" your gear too much.

It's like the people who post pictures of their computers, their workstations, for others to see how sleek they are- rubbish!

Caught You Pickin' Comedy Videos

2009-12-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

So...

I have to admit something.

I've always wanted to make comedy.

We grew up watching The Kids in the Hall, SCTV, and old SNL reruns. These shows all combined to warp my sense of humor, but to make comedy one of my favorite things- there's nothing else like cracking jokes and making people laugh.

That said, we've started to put some sketches on YouTube under the group name "Caught You Pickin'" - composed of John McGhee, Shadiah Sigala, Lou Susi, Sean Kelly, Tom Lato and myself.

Here is FelonDate (the one that most people say is by far the funniest)...

These are all shot on the DVX-100b as well.

Another Video...

2009-10-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

Our 2008 Boston 48HFP entry.

Shot on the Panasonic DVX-100b by Shaun Clark, it looks pretty darn good- however I think that the edit was far too heavy-handed.

So it goes.

Attending a Virtual Conference

2009-02-23T12:55:00.001-05:00

This week a segment in my company is holding a virtual conference- supplanting the usual travel and location arrangements for a schedule of WebEx Meetings and Events.

Now, you might think that this is a good thing- sure, they’re saving a TON of money on T&E, and I won’t have to fly out to California for a week and miss friends and family- but there are a lot of things that I’m going to miss- you know, the things that you do at a conference… Maybe we’re not all as nostalgic about attending conferences as I am, but if you’re the kind of person who saves all those nametags from all the different events you’ve been to- then I’m talkin’ to YOU.

So, I’ve come up with a list of things that I will do this week to get back that “on location” feeling- here’s a list…

- I will wear a name tag all week long. I’ll even put it on one of those tassel-fob things, and enclose it in plastic. I will wonder if the chip inside really tells my boss what sessions I attend!

- I will eat lunch with strangers in the company cafeteria- and purposefully pick food that won’t sit well in my digestive system, so that I can really get that “away from home” feeling…

- I will go out every night this week to either a mediocre local *bump-bump* club (which will be dead, ‘cause it’s Tuesday) or to a hotel bar. I’ll try to act like I can really put ‘em away, but get tired and leave after only a couple of drinks, or total strikeouts with whatever females are around…

- I will show up late to all meetings, starting on Tuesday, due to “food poisoning” (my hangover).

- I will attend all my meetings from the conference room so that I feel like I’m really part of the audience.

- I will wear a suit on Monday, slacks and a collared shirt on Tuesday, and jeans and a “No I will Not Fix Your Computer” t-shirt (the same one) for the other 3 days.

WebCam Background and Lighting Tips...

2009-02-11T15:32:00.001-05:00

A few thoughts on how to get the most out of your Webcam...

- Be Aware of Lighting: Since the sensor on even the highest-quality webcam is pretty darn smal l when compared to, say, a digicam sensor which, again is small compared to a full-frame 35mm DSLR (or actual 35mm frame) we realistically can’t expect too much in the way of dynamic range. Therefore, we have to have optimal conditions in place to get a good image- to make us look good.

- Windows Kill: DON’T sit back-to a window- natural light will overpower anything but powerful studio lights. DO put the webcam BETWEEN you and the window! This will let you use the powerful natural light to light the subject- YOU.

who is that masked man?

- Get a desk lamp: either point it at yourself (this is a Key light), or at a cube wall so it bounces some light onto your face (this is a Fill light). In a normal video shoot, there is the classic “3-point” lighting setup- which includes a Key-, Fill-, and Back-light to isolate the subject from the background- but in lighting for a basic webcam conference, you only really need one good light- if you use an advanced video system, you may want to invest in a more professional lighting package.

standard 3-point lighting for an interview... only 1/3
needed for our webcam presentations!

- Background Information: Sometimes its the little things that tell people the most about us... Make sure that whatever is behind you is clean & clear, and free of debris. Make sure to remove any dead plants, KISS posters, or old computer junk.

- Missed Opportunities... Now that it's blank, how can we use it?.. I like to think of that empty wall as unused advertising space- space for advertising YOU! Not sure about this one? All you have to do is flick on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc to see how all the major news channels interview in front of cityscapes, cool graphics, bustling newsrooms, or libraries of books. This adds a level of credibility to the speaker, and communicates even more to the audience. Take a little time to "pretty up" your area, and think about how you can make your own background advertisement out of the artifacts in your office space- diplomas, degrees, books, plants, framed art, accolades or even magazine covers.

- The Right Stuff- Don't have a web conferencing tool that will support this kind of webcam video? Check out WebEx. I know, you've heard this one before, but there's a reason for it- it works!

Don't forget to check out my post on how to have better web meetings...

- Josh

Tips for better WebEx Conferences - Or Video Conferences in General...

2009-02-09T16:30:00.001-05:00

People seem to think that because we've called a meeting, everything will just take care of itself. That's where they're wrong! Meetings require leadership - not necessarily Robert's Rules of Order leadership (egad, shudder to think of those hours spent in the Student Senate...) but some kind of direction. Here are a few pointers, from one who is in/part of/attends a LOT of meetings. Heck, I do work for a company that provides a serious meeting platform...

1. Bring an Agenda (what are we here to do???) Regardless of what the format is - Powerpoint, Keynote, Notepad, etc - make up some kind of bullet list. People LIKE bullets. They like things synthesized for their consumption- the salient, important points. Outline the basic framework of what's supposed to happen in the meeting, and show it to everyone.

2. Show Yourself! - Use your web conferencing tool's video option. This lends seriousness and credibility - if you're not willing to show yourself, it makes people wonder what color your pajamas are (the ones that you're obviously sitting at home in, in front of the television no doubt!). Don't have camera options with your web conference? Get WebEx.

3. Annotate (Draw & Text on the Screen!) Use the marker and text tools to highlight and outline what is important. Change and adjust the agenda, or add to it as people make comments. You can also let your attendees use these tools simultaneously for brainstorming & planning sessions. For example, in our team meetings there is a specific agenda item called "feedback." Our manager opens up a blank slide, and turns on the annotation tools for everyone- then asks us to throw out words and ideas about how he can help us be more successful- with the idea that nothing is off-limits, but that if you put up something heavy, just be ready to discuss!

4. Follow-Through - on movie sets there is a dedicated person who watches for continuity- IE to make sure that props, wardrobe and makeup are consistent from scene to scene. In meetings we need to have similar people- someone who's specific job it is to make sure we have targets set for what happens next. Don't forget to either snap a quick screenshot or record important points of the meeting. If your conferencing provider doesn't offer this option, you can always click "Print Screen" (it's above the number pad) and then Control-V to Paste it into either Word or Powerpoint as a captured image. Also, there are tons of free screen capture tools out there that let you record directly from your desktop, and end up with a video. You can use some of the converter tools from my earlier post to convert to other formats.

5. Encourage Participation - ASK QUESTIONS! "does that make sense," "are we all on board," "does anyone have any questions," "do you think that's a good idea?"

RedOne vs Canon 5D Mk2

2009-02-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Pretty cool. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have...

Stuff for DSLR cinematography...

Useful (FREE) Video Converter Programs

2009-02-05T09:45:00.001-05:00

Any Video Converter-

Convert from anything (AVI or WMV, Quicktime, etc) to almost anything else. It’s got really easy controls- just pick your original file, then select the device/type of output you desire, and click convert. Doesn’t get much easier than this!!!

Input formats:

avi, asf, mov, rm, rmvb, flv, mkv, mpg, 3gp, m4v, vob, YouTube videos

Output formats:

avi, wmv, mp4, 3gp, wmv, flv, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, mpg (PAL or NTSC)

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

DVD Decrypter-

Simply pop a DVD into your computer, then right-click – select “decrypt with DVD Decrypter” (or whatever it says!) and let this program do its work. You’ll end up with a folder of “VOB” files, which are playable in some NERO DVD player programs. Use Handbrake (below) to convert these folders into useable standard-format (decent quality) AVI files for playback in your Windows Media player…

http://www.mrbass.org/dvdrip/SetupDVDDecrypter_3.5.4.0.exe

Handbrake-

Primary use is to convert from DVD “VOB” files (entire folders of a ripped DVD) to avi files or Apple formats like M4V, etc. For PC users, this is great because you can easily convert a whole DVD (3-4 gigs) into a 500MB file, which is much more transportable/storeable – IE your collection isn’t going to eat up entire hard drives…

Input Formats:

Any DVD-like source: VIDEO_TS folder, DVD image or real DVD (unencrypted--protection methods including CSS are not supported internally and must be handled externally with third-party software and libraries), and some .VOB and .TS files

Most any multimedia file it can get libavformat to read and libavcodec to decode.

Output Formats:

File format: MP4, MKV, AVI or OGM

Video: MPEG-4, H.264, or Theora (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer/rate encoding)

Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)

http://handbrake.fr/

Some Basic Tips on Webcam Etiquette…

2009-01-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, I work for WebEx- Cisco-WebEx. Let me be clear that this isn’t a pitch for our tools, but rather some helpful ideas around WebCam meetings in general. Think of this as an experienced Web-presenter’s Basic Tips on Webcam Etiquette…

Look Good – seriously, comb your hair. Put on glasses so you look “smart.” Have a collared shirt on, at least… Your audience can’t typically see you in excruciating detail (zits? No big deal!) but they CAN see your most prominent features.
Find Your Good Side - I’m regularly on meetings with people who have bad angles… Some look like they’re on the Space Station with their awkward wide-shot cameras, some noses I can almost see UP, and some people facing an entirely different direction from their camera (perpendicular to it, usually). Look at CNN, see how hosts look are positioned towards the camera. This lets us see the person from a natural, straight-on angle as though we were meeting with them across the table in “real life”
Get Lit- With cheap webcams or video cameras, light makes all the difference. Without exception these cameras have a slow/small aperture (F-Stop)- they’re mostly plastic lenses combined with very, very small imaging chips. That said, Logitech is my personal favorite brand. I currently use one of these and it’s a great little unit!
Have a “Set”- Again to take a cue from our friends in cable & broadcast news (they set the appearance standards for professional meetings!) it is important to at least have a nice, clean area behind you. Notice how when lawyers are interviewed on television, they have lots of books behind them- and when reporters are sitting in the studio, there are monitors and producers in the background… It lends some credibility to the speaker. Even if you just have a nice plant, or a couple of framed pictures in the background, put something in there- and keep in mind, this is YOU that’s on display, so this will directly affect how people think of you…
Smile!- Hey, it seems easy, but we all forget to do it. Show your customers or your colleagues that you’re a team player and you’re happy to be here! People like to see other people smile, and as corny as it sounds, breaking through to your audience with general niceness or carefully positioned humor can really give them a good impression.
Look at the Camera- While you’re smiling, looking good in your collared shirt and sitting in your private studio (get a sweet On Air light if you work at home, so the husband/wife/kids know when to be respectful of your space) remember to actually look into/at the camera. It’s really the same as looking into your attendee’s eyes- they will think and respond as though you were really talking to them as opposed to an inanimate object that’s sitting on top of your monitor…

And, as always, have fun, and deliver good content to your audience…

A Few Cameras...

2009-01-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

CAMERAS that I like…

- Canon 5d Mark 2

- Red Family

- Most Canon Digital SLRs*

- Most Nikon Digital SLRs

CAMERAS that I currently have…

- Nikon D70

- Canon G7

- A variety of older film cameras (Nikon, Canon, Rolliflex)

CAMERAS that I use…

- Panasonic DVX100b

- Sony V1U HDcam

- Sony PD-170 series

- Sony VX-2000 series

CAMERAS that I have owned in the past…

- Sony VX1000

- Canon XL-1s

- Canon 10D

- Canon Elph

Webcams that I use right now…

- Logitech

* except the Rebel, but I understand if that's what you bought... however, I would ALWAYS recommend checking your local Craigslist for a deal on a higher-quality Nikon or Canon body before paying retail on anything...

Not a To-Do List, a Does-Do List, or a Should-Do-List...

2008-08-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

When the sun has gone down, or you're sitting in your cube at work, or standing in your apartment realizing that you are totally alone, or you get bored with Everything, and start thinking about going out for drinks, getting stoned, or watching television. Basically, becoming entirely unproductive...

So, I've started this list of things that I should do when I am faced with any of these thoughts. This is basically an admission that I am an animal, and have no control over my desires- I will run to the most fun, easiest, tastiest, and ultimately worst options when faced with any serious decision.

SHOULD DO LIST

PHYSICAL
- Workout (situps, pushups, jog, jump rope)
- Yoga
- Jujitsu Practice

MENTAL
- Write (48 blog, movie projects- Promise - 48 Hour - Sketches - New Projects)

GET OUT
- Comedy Connection???
- Take a Class? (Writing, Project Management, Acting - Improv Boston)

HOUSE PROJECTS
- Plaque
- Lamp
- Apartment Organization

HOUSE
- Clean room (fold clothes, sweep, organize)
- Clean Kitchen (dishes/dishwasher, counters, floor)
- Clean bathroom (floor, toilet, sink & shower)

Presenting to Tough Cookies

2008-08-01T11:36:00.000-04:00

- Or, Never Go to Bed Angry

Wow. I just got off a "wicked tough" call.

We don't do your garden variety conference calls around here - this IS WebEx, so everything is a video call. Now, it's a Friday, which means- oh, yeah - casual Friday! So, here I sit with my Pink Floyd t-shirt as the rep du jur launches us into a session with some gents from Boston (our office is just outside of Boston, but keep in mind that I'm from Maine, I'm not a Bostonian, I don't have the accent). The purpose of the meeting is to talk tech with the customer- which is my job here, I'm the SE - and the rep lets them know what we'll do and where we'll go.

I start off with my standard presentation, covering what makes WebEx different than our competition - 1) the MediaTone, 2) our SAAS method & customer-success orientation, 3) our Integrated Telephony, and 4) our Centers/Features. So I launch into some basics about #2, just to preface what's coming next- and almost immediately one of the gents on the line yells into the speakerphone "STOP talking about SERVICE, You're Going To Lose Mr. X! Start Talking Tech!!!"

Whew! Okay. It's really really rare that anyone raises their voice at me on a call, I work hard to stay on target and cover the topics that people want (as well as work to build a business case for "Why WebEx" - that's my job, after all!). That being said, here are some of those precautionary measures...

Josh's Precautions to Take to Keep People Cool

1. Stay on Topic
2. DONT talk over anyone else. EVER. It's rude.
3. LISTEN to your customer/attendee - the Lost Art of Selling is simply "to listen"
4. 3 slide/5 minute rule - every 3/5, ask if everything makes sense. Check for questions.
5. Show Video! - it's a familiarity thing, but people will usually get MUCH more engaged with you if they SEE you. There are subsets of this one, like - LOOK AT THE CAMERA, and SMILE ALOT, BE ENTERTAINING, or Have a "clean" background (think of it like a "set" in movies & commercials)... I'll cover them in another post!

Obviously, I messed up on #1. Bad Josh. Bad bad bad.

But, and this comes from my martial arts training - and I am sure that most any athlete who's competed in something has felt/created the same mental space as this... The best thing that you can do when someone gets upset or gets hot with you, is to CREATE SOME SPACE. Breathe. Get calm. Starting thinking about what your options are... You could rush in/through, you could run away, (those are fight or flight...) or you could ORGANIZE. Naturally, unless you're a brute (in this case, a Bill Gates-esque brilliant Engineer, which I wish I was, sometimes) you're going to have to learn how to organize and compose yourself. Therefore, we're choosing to FIGHT, but MINDFULLY.

Josh's Process to save the call- and yourself

1. Get mad - Sure, this is an emotional response, but it's unavoidable. We all get mad, because something like this hurts- it is uncomfortable to have someone take you to task so publicly and in such a straightforward manner. But, if I was really bothered, I'd be in some other line of work. The key is to take the negative feeling, and "let it turn." So step QUICKLY over this, it's never worthwhile to get mad at someone in a professional environment. Getting mad is like torture in international politics- WE need to set the example of how to behave, of professionalism, so that everyone else understands the baseline of civility. IE Don't TORTURE. Getting mad will give you the Fire to Get Going- it's an Instant Sense of Urgency.
2. Re-orient - The wheels start turning - what do we do now?! This is where what you've learned- your TECHNIQUE - comes into play. This is why we train, so that when we're in this kind of situation, we're ready to respond correctly.
3. Don't Panic - Hey, it's on that little book I carry around, it MUST be worth something! Remember, YOU CAN DO IT. If you can't, you should be in another field of work, because the stress here may kill you.
4. Get back on TRACK - Hmm, sounds familiar... This is when being prepared, trained and having LISTENED to your customer makes a HUGE difference. Pick the thread of information that the customer wants to mine, and just GET TO IT.
5. Keep Your Sense of Humor - If you haven't got one, GET ONE. Go to comedy shows, get some friends, pray to God, go to Laughing meditations, drink alot. Whatever it takes, find your inner Laughing Person. And keep it real!

So, keep your cool, have fun, and go to the mat only when absolutely necessary. Remember, it's all part of the game, and we can have a LOT of fun with this kind of thing- just don't EVER take anything too personally.

Oh, and always remember to synch up with your colleagues afterwards to have a good, releasing laugh, and finish it off on a positive note- never leave an interaction unresolved. It's like the old saying about marriage- never go to bed angry; treat your customers as such - they're getting into a serious relationship with your company, and need to know that they will be listened to and that their needs will be met.

Always remember, customers are the lifeblood of the company.

the Dark Knight

2008-07-25T14:35:00.000-04:00

First off, the new Batman movie was baaaaad. Too long, lack of story, really bad writing- lots of silly expositions from different characters, bad sound in parts (mumbled lines, overpowering soundtrack music), and shitty editing.

Heath Ledger was amazing as the Joker, but even so, it seemed that someone took every single take that the guy was in, and made a rough cut out of them. For instance, his "why so serious" stories- two different stories, explaining how he got his face cut, that just made little or no sense- is one true and not the other? Is there some really gory story that's actually accurate? Or, did they take the best take from each scene, and he just happened to be telling different versions?

It was just kind of a mess.

Full Version of Salvation Inc- Finally.

2008-06-30T09:06:00.000-04:00

Setting Sites

2008-05-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

With the exception of a brief interruption for the purchase of a new/used motorcycle, I've been working on what comes next.

- Ideas & Brainstorming
I'm working with Tom and Eric on a 5-minute short that's aimed at being done by August 1. We've been meeting intermittently and are in the idea phase- each bringing a few concepts to share and see what grabs us.
- Planning
Communicating with Ben and Patrick to keep the fires warm for Portland. Took some great location scouting shots this last weekend of a possible site. Got to think about SOUND with that one- how to isolate an actor's audio...
- Research
Watching some different flicks, seeing a few shorts, looking at different shot, composition and techniques to help bring something together as far as "voice."
- Practice
Still shooting for Mark at BMAC - the first round of footage looked great; we shot last night, and I think that this latest footage will blow the first set away. Can't wait to hear what Renato has to say about it...

I wanna make a cult film.

(images from this weekend)

Some good ideas about taking pictures...

Info on the Prospective Boston 48 Winner...

2008-04-12T09:03:00.000-04:00

So I talked about that unfuckingbelievable short, “Composition” by Bait & Tackle… The team leader is listed as Chad Carlberg – and a quick Googling begets this:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137313/ and this:

So, he's got his own production company/agency... Makes sense...

SHOWING the 48

2008-04-10T22:22:00.002-04:00

Our film showed last night at the Kendall- I’m posting a link to the showing here, so that you can see for yourself what this was like. At this stage in our moviemaking, it’s not that having the short up on the screen is important- it’s not- it’s that getting the audience’s reaction, seeing what beats hit and what were missed, is valuable to gauge what and how to do next.

We had a pretty good turn out, with many of our actors and actresses (to whom I am deeply sorry) showing up to watch, and of course Sara, Tom, and myself there as well. It was Tom’s first time seeing the short, and I (foolishly) tried to set his expectations low by telling him that it wasn’t perfect, and that I hoped he’d be okay with it.

I think that he was a touch suspicious then, to see how badly we might have butchered his script…

They played the films in worst-to-best order, with the first couple being hilariously campy efforts by college kids and what seemed to be a group of stoned 30-ish’s। Our film, oddly enough, was smack in the middle of the pack, which is maybe a “feel good” comment on it- and it really served as the beacon or turning point between what was generally mediocre or bad, and what was pretty good to unfuckingbelievable.

Let me stop here and comment- the film “Composition” by Bait & Tackle was the best short I think that I’ve ever seen, anyplace. They obviously had a serious crew, and some God-given talent (nice to see that they’re not a bunch of 20 year olds!). I really have to give it to them- not important, as someone much more important than I certainly will. They’re raised the bar beyond what I could expect, and will more than likely take the whole competition this year. I really look forward to seeing the Best of, because if they have competition, it’s going to make for some other great flicks.

All of that said, when it came time and our piece played, people did laugh at some key parts (like when Tristan mouthed “what the FUCK” as the crazy lady offered a cookie), and they seemed to “get it” generally, which is more than I expected. The bad part came at the last scene, as Tristan delivered his final line, the punch line, and the audio dropped out entirely- we watched him give the line in silence, and the audience sat in some amount of confusion. I was stunned, but not entirely caught off-guard; these things happen.

It still sucked.

After the showing, Tom and I got up to be part of the filmmaker’s Q&A panel, and we each answered a few questions based on our experiences- I was concerned that he’d want to hide after seeing the result of our work, but he took it like a champ and still seems cool about it.

Expectations

We hit the expectations that I had- that we could make a short in 48 (again) that was better than the last one technically, and in such a way that our team would have fun doing it while having a good experience in the process.
Which means that I didn’t set expectations for the quality of the film itself. It’s my failing, my weakness, that I focused more on the experience; something that it was necessary to do in order that any momentum we built with this would not be lost and that we could progress further. I thought (and still think) that it was necessary to make a safe culture, a good place, for us to work in order that we could build and grow. Therefore, I should say that I had no expectations about the quality of the final piece, just of the quality of the production itself.

Next time will be a bit different. There are a few positions that we need to flesh out to gear up for the next level.

Location Sound Specialist
Editor – Tristan ?
Post-Production Music Assistant
Effects & Titles Artist – Sara?

Shooting at BMAC

2008-04-10T22:22:00.001-04:00

We filmed Mark and some of the senior students on Monday. This is a very different sort of shoot as it’s instructional, and there are no real “takes” – the people on camera just do their techniques a few times over, occasionally from different angles, and we capture.

Renato brought 2 Panasonic DVX-100’s and I my XL-1s. The XL we put on a high tripod to act as a sort of master shot, and the DVX’s were eye-level, one in the center getting more of a straight-on shot and the other I used “handheld” using a tripod as steadycam. The DVX footage is beautiful through the viewfinder- I tried to use the flip-out LCD and it was just too distracting; due to the nature of this cam’s build, its meant to be held out 12-18” from the shooter’s face – like a PD150. The cannon is shoulder-mounted with no LCD, which I think gives much more stability in your shot, and allows you to keep both eyes open while shooting – which means that you can see what else is going on in the bigger picture, see if there is something you’re missing or that you want to watch out for in the shot. I’m definitely partial to shoulder-mounting. It’s much easier to get a stable shot, and your arms don’t get tired holding the cam up (which keeps the camera from shaking).

Additionally, the DVX’s feel cheap- the barrel of the camera, the lens itself, and the zoom & focus rings are very nice, very solid (I especially liked the nub on the zoom ring- it makes finding a point to operate from really convenient) – but the rest, the LCD, the controls under the LCD, the deck, all feel really chintzy. If you shake the camera, it seems like something might fall or break off- not what I’d expect in a camera in this price range.

Aside from the physical quality, the images are pretty damn nice- even though I have yet to see them on a screen outside of the cameras themselves. White balancing is done by color temp vs situation, which is interesting, and the menus are quite detailed. I did not like the controller/joystick for accessing the menus, this also felt like it would break with minimal pressure.

48 Hour Wrap Up I

2008-04-08T22:01:00.000-04:00

So many pieces to look at, so much information to tell.

Based on the aforementioned project management piece that I’d looked at, I put together an overview of who the key constituencies or stakeholders were for this project.

Creative Team
Crew
Actors
Friends & Family
The General Public
the Boston Producers of the 48HFP
Boston 48HFP Judges

I drew myself a map showing the size of each of these constituencies, and made a list for explaining what elements would determine project success. This was a huge help in starting to set realistic goals and expectations for the whole project, and it really helped me prioritize activities- for instance, one of the first things that I did was to go out Friday morning and buy a bunch of food to stock the apartment with. This took a ton of pressure off, knowing that there were plenty of apples, oranges and juices for the team to consume. Not to mention taking away the need to jump in the car, or to eat a bunch of fast food made a great difference in the time that we could stay on-target. I tried to make this kind of “human” concern topmost priority when dealing with the crew, and feel that the strategy worked – everyone said that they had the best shooting experience with us that they had had on any production so far- instead of leaving with a few (or any) grumblers on Sunday night, we left with people saying they wanted to do something again, and soon. Tristan even called me (!) once he’d gotten home to say thanks for bringing him on board.

Something else that was different this time was that we stayed closer in the first four or six hours as a creative team- we holed up at the apartment together while the writer wrote, the editor organized his files and project, and I called actors and locations. At some point, probably around nine or ten, we set out storyboarding most all of our shots- this was a great time saver and I would attest that this might have been the most productive thing that we did. I owe it to Ben for getting me in gear on this, stopping all the phone calls and getting me to concentrate on the scenes and shots themselves. If we had not done this, we would not have gotten as far along as we did.

Which leads me to where I personally failed this time around- our script was too long – very ambitious, for sure, but it numbered at over ten pages in the first version, ultimately pared down to nine in the final. It is a great script, it really is – but there were a few scenes that required more time, more tightening, more action and more nuance to make the whole story really work. It was up to me, in the role of producer/director, to make the call that changes should be made- to be able to recognize that we could not realistically accomplish what was set out before us. I did not do this, I did not slow the rolling juggernaught of creative thought that was our writer, Tom, and my failure is the now the team’s. No, I’m not upset about this, but I do recognize that I could have given us a better shot by making the call to revise and downsize. This is one way to learn- go after something that’s bigger and harder than you can reasonably expect to pull off, and do everything that you can to do it. It isn’t typically a great strategy for winning, though.

If I had three days to shoot this script, I could make a great 8 minute movie. As it is, we have a technically good 6:53 minute piece that we passed in on time- and we didn’t kill or piss each other off in the making of it. This time, this team, has the most cohesiveness post-production of any group that we’ve put together. This is critical in the feeling of momentum, that not only do I personally feel that I’ve accomplished something, but that I can feel that the rest of the crew and cast have the same residual sense of accomplishment.

We did have the technical piece 90% solved- the only way that we can improve is to have a dedicated audio person, someone to be as aware of the sound as Ben is of the image and light. That being said, there is one shot in our short that has weak lighting– it’s an interior shot with three actors sitting in a café, large windows in the background that let in the outside light. We can leave the blow-by-blow for a director’s cut commentary…

At this point, no one other than the core crew have seen the resulting short- it plays tomorrow night at the Kendall theater in Cambridge. I’m looking forward to seeing the reaction of the crowd, to see what passes on correctly, and if they respond… I’ve definitely been surprised before, so here goes…

NUMBER 2

2008-04-07T23:56:00.000-04:00

The 48 2008

After reading a really excellent post on project management, I’ve gone and made a booklet to keep track of my 48 Hour project out of scrap 11 x 17 paper and staples. Why not just go buy a fancy Moleskin (claimed to have been used by Hemingway) or a slick, creamy-papered sketchbook? I find that getting something new for the explicit purpose of recording or creating one project or purpose sets up too many preconceived notions for me to concentrate- I get too worried about the historical perspective, what’s being recorded, who would look at it in the future, and what they might see.

Therefore, the cheap and recycled route just feels better! I don’t have that performance pressure associated with a $20 diary or that gorgeous $100 fountain pen that I just had to have… Instead, this can look like a child’s scratchings, and the worst thing that I could do would be to just toss it when it’s all over. Certainly, it’s my own problem, but anything that is conducive to easy working helps.

Meetings

Tomorrow I’ve got the team meeting up at a local bar, Bukowski’s in Iman Square, Cambridge. We’ve got the three of us from the Creative Team (only two can attend, Ben is in Maine and can’t get clearance from his wife), around nine or ten of our Talent, and an additional three or four random Crew. The intent for this meeting is just a meet-and-greet for those we don’t know that well, plus an opportunity for everyone to see their roles (Crew) and to sign releases- better now than the day-of.

There are a some things that I am involved in, that I need to keep record of.

2008-03-23T10:23:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge fan of blogs-as-diaries, so hopefully this will not be just that. The intent is that this will be a chronicling of general pursuit into different activities by the writer- which are subject to change at a moment’s whim, or due to unavoidable circumstance or even opportunity.

Keeping a public chronicle may prove useful from a feedback perspective, and by putting it all here, it might keep me keeping up with content…

Activity One: digital film-making
Activity Two: martial art
Activity Three: work

Activity One: the Boston 48 Hour Film Project, 2008

but Josh, this is the 3rd 48 that you’ve done- what are you looking for in this one?
This is a hard question. In the past, I was looking for a reason to shoot something, a condensed (almost chaperoned) experience of making a short. Now that we’ve done that a few times, and been through the ups and downs of this whole process- learning that a lot of this is NOT fun, that a lot of this is work – there is a more serious tinge to this question. It begs the question-

what are you looking for in all of these pursuits? why spend time and effort trying to make video?
1. First, I’m trying to create a portfolio, a beginner’s body of work. I’m practicing, or training, to do more. Admittedly, I’m a little old to be practicing still, but this is what it is. A portfolio of work helps you find more people to work with, and establishes that “this is what you do” when you’re an outsider coming in- and I’m not quitting my job to PA or to more directly follow this interest right now.
2. I want to create – but I need to develop my voice and perspective, to get my sea legs. This is important, it’s like learning a language, and then learning how to get up and speak in front of an audience. You’ve got to expose all of your issues: colloquialisms, ah’s and um’s, talking to fast, mumbling, looking down at your notes, nervousness, fidgeting and everything else, and change them one by one. It’s hard, but it’s possible to do- you’ve just got to be willing to be and feel embarrassed by the “stupid stuff” that you make at first. (as example, look at everything that I’ve done so far!)

48 hour boston further topics
- people drop out at the last minute
- organization
- locations
- the big question is: what am I missing? (as always)

Activity Two: Changing Training, Video Project

- working on a video
- changing how we train

Our instructor is adjusting the way that we train. He wants to concentrate on the basics, and focus on more real-world application- not that we weren’t so much before, but we really worked a lot of the kata and the kyu system information, and less “fighting.”

Mark says now that “this is my school, and we’re going to start doing what I like,” which is fighting, using the technique for self-defense.

On of my budokas and I are working on a video to cover the “new basics” – a video that will take the essentials from the first three grades, and display them in a fashion that other schools can see how we are working the material. We’re going to interview our instructor and then have him demonstrate each technique; instead of making these walkthroughs, the intent is to be more flowing, more moving from technique to technique.